Concussion Repercussions
by Pamalam
Summary: Sam deals with the concussion and head trauma received during Death Knell
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The birds outside Sam's window gathered around the almost empty feeders. After her run-in with the Super Soldier during the mission on the Alpha Site, she landed in the infirmary for two days. During that time, the birds had almost emptied the feeders. Sam envied the freedom of the birds as they fluttered about the feeders, competing for access to the food. Unless she had some project or problem, she didn't cope very well with being cooped up inside for long periods of time. Because of her concussion she suffered during her ordeal, Janet ordered bed rest for her. She had threatened Colonel O'Neill with her biggest needles, if he even thought about letting Sam have access to her laptop. That had been enough to ensure her laptop was nowhere in sight.

She supposed she should be grateful that Janet didn't admit her to the base hospital. That would have been so much worse. Pete could have visited her more often, but her team members wouldn't have been able to pop in as often as they had. Their impromptu visits helped her keep her sanity during her infirmary confinement.

Janet wanted her to stay in the SGC medical wing for a week, but Sam balked at that. She was normally a compliant patient, but after two days of being awakened every few hours for vitals, she had fantasies of strangling the well-meaning caregivers with their own stethoscopes. While Janet didn't invoke Colonel O'Neill's name, she did tell Sam that the nurses were complaining almost as much as they did when another member of SG1 was confined to the infirmary. So, she released Sam a few days early, with some stipulations.

The first was that Sam needed specialized wound care for her leg. She needed several stitches to close the gash she had received during the Alpha Site self-destruct activation. One of the infirmary nurses lived close to Sam and volunteered to stop by each morning on her way to work, check the dressing, and change it when necessary.

The second was that she needed someone to stay with her around the clock, because Janet didn't want her putting any weight on the injured leg for a few days. Daniel, Teal'c, and the Colonel had volunteered to take turns staying with her but General Hammond couldn't spare them at the moment. The fallout from the breakup of the Tok'ra and Jaffa alliance required all their attention – not to mention the clean up of the Alpha Site itself.

Fortunately, Pete had been able to take a week off to stay with her. Sam wasn't entirely comfortable with that because they had only been seeing each other for a few weeks, but he seemed eager to help out and it did provide her an escape from the infirmary.

However, after a week of Pete's smothering attention, she longed for the overly attentive nursing staff. For the first 2 or 3 days she had been flattered by his concern. He constantly checked on her and asked if there was anything she needed. Soon, however, all that care and attention grated on her nerves. She wasn't sure how much more she could put up with.

Earlier today, Pete had taken her to the infirmary for a scheduled checkup, and Janet had told her she could begin to walk on the injured leg a little. Sam had wanted to hug her—she was so tired of being treated like an invalid. Maybe Pete would give her some room now. When they arrived at Sam's house, relief came in a call from his precinct. The discovery of new evidence, for a case on which Pete had been working, needed Pete's scrutiny. The captain wanted him to come in for a few hours and review the significance of the new data. Sam was able to assure him that she would be okay. If she needed anything, she could call Janet or Cassie. Pete verified that the pantry and refrigerator were well stocked, and he gave her a quick peck on the cheek as he gathered his gun and badge and left for work.

Now alone for the first time in a week, Sam was overwhelmed with the need to be outside, and those bird feeders needed refilling. Decision made, she bundled up in a warm coat and a wooly cap. She stopped by the storeroom on the way out and picked up the container of bird feed. She didn't feel the cold even thought the temps were just above freezing. She was so happy to be outside, that she was disappointed when it only took a short time to fill the bird feeders. She wasn't yet ready to go back inside. She looked around for something else to do outside and sighed when she couldn't find any other chores to do.

She slowly walked back to her house, putting off going back inside as long as she could. With her head hung down, she walked in the back door, taking off her coat and cap. Just inside the door, she noticed a book under the bench where she sat to take off her shoes. She bent down and picked it up. She had been reading this rom-com several months ago. The genre was one of her guilty pleasures. That gave her an idea. She went to the kitchen, and made a cup of hot tea. She put her coat and cap back on, picked up the book, and once again stepped outside into the sun. A little more time sitting out in the fresh air and sunshine would do wonders for her mood.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack knocked on the door of Janet's office. "Hi Doc. Heard from Carter today?"

Janet looked up from the chart she was updating. "Good afternoon, Colonel. She was here this morning. I'm updating her chart as we speak. I'll have a report ready for you and General Hammond in a few hours." Janet returned her attention to her charting.

"That's great." Jack moved to walk out the door, but stopped and turned back.

Janet looked up again. "Is there anything else I can help you with, Sir?"

"Uh, how was she? Is her recovery on schedule?"

"It will all be in my report, Sir."

Jack sat down in the chair opposite her and cleared his throat. "Off the record, Janet, and as her friend –how is she doing?" He picked up a pen on her desk and twirled it between his fingers.

Janet looked at him, and his busy fingers, and took a breath. "Off the record and as her friend—I'm a little concerned."

"About what?" Jack tapped the pen against the desk.

"I told her she could put weight on her leg which means she would be able to walk on her own now." Janet glared at the pen and reached across placing her hand on his, stilling the distracting motions.

Jack put the pen down and held his hands up in apology. "But that's a good thing. Right?"

"Yes, she was happy about that, but she still seemed depressed," Janet replied.

"Was Shanahan with her?" Jack asked.

Janet pressed her lips together. "Oh yes, Pete was there, hovering over her like she was a complete invalid."

"Why was she depressed, then?" Jack was still trying to get the image of Pete hovering out of his mind. "Maybe thinking if she were able to walk now, he wouldn't stay with her all the time." He answered his own question.

"No I don't think that was it." Janet was a bit distracted. She was finishing up her notes on Sam's chart. "Oh no!"

What's wrong, Doc"

"Sam didn't pick up her refill for her pain meds and she was almost out. I need to call her and get Pete to come back to pick them up. I can leave them at the front gate."

"Or I could take them to her," Jack suggested.

"Aren't you on duty at the moment?"

"No, General Hammond told me to take the rest of the day off. Teal'c is dealing with the Jaffa and Hammond seems to think Daniel would be better at talking to the Tok'ra that I would." One side of Jack's mouth turned upwards in a slight smile. "Go figure. Everyone knows I love the Tok'ra."

Janet laughed and said, "Well, if you're sure…"

"I'm sure. I'll go change and be back for the meds in 10."


	3. Chapter 3

Jack drove up to Sam's house and was thankful not to see Pete's SUV. He didn't want to run into Shanahan today. He was not in the mood for all his questions about SG1's missions. He was annoyed that Shanahan didn't get the concept of "classified" as it applied to Carter. He stepped down out of his truck, tapping his jacket pocket to assure he had Carter's meds. Walking up to her door, he rang the doorbell and waited. If Shanahan wasn't there, it could take Carter awhile to get to the door. As he waited, he noticed that the blinds and curtains were closed. It occurred to him that she might still be out with Pete. He had a key to her house, but he would rather not use it right now. He would hate to walk in to a situation that would prove embarrassing to all parties. He pulled out his phone and decided calling her would be the safest course of action. If she wasn't at home, he could let himself in and leave the meds for her. If she was otherwise involved, he would leave the meds on the doorstep.

He dialed her number and could faintly hear the phone ringing somewhere close, but Carter wasn't answering. As he was about to end the call, she answered, "Carter." Her voice was hoarse.

"Sorry, Carter. It sounds like I woke you."

"Yes Sir. I must have fallen asleep. Is there a problem at work?"

"No, I'm at your front door and no one answered when I rang the bell."

"Sorry, Sir. Pete is at work and I'm in the backyard. I'll be right there."

"Never mind, Carter. I'll come around and meet you in the back." Jack walked to the side of the house as he was talking. When he opened the gate to the backyard, he saw Carter on the patio, struggling to stand up. He hurried to help her.

"Take it easy, Carter." He reached to steady her as she wobbled on her feet.

"Thanks, Sir. I'm still a little unsteady on my feet." She held on tightly to his arm for a moment, but let go quickly.

Jack continued to hold on to her until she was steady and then dropped his hands from her arms. "Pete's at work? I thought he was supposed to be taking care of you."

"His captain called and there was a special case that had come up that Pete had been working on. So he had to go in for awhile."

"And he left you here alone?" Jack spoke in clipped tones.

"Actually, I insisted. I was beginning to feel a little…" She hesitated.

"A little what?" Jack prodded.

"To be honest, Sir, I was feeling overwhelmed by all the attention." She confessed. "And Janet did tell me it was okay to start walking a little.. So, I can get around by myself now. when Pete's captain called him back into work , I told him I would be okay on my own for a while."

She began to shiver slightly and hugged her arms around her. As she did so, her teeth began to chatter.

"Carter, your lips are turning blue. How long have you been outside?"

"I'm not sure. I didn't notice the time when I came out."

"It doesn't matter now. We need to get you back into the house."

Jack helped her inside and noticed that there was a nice fire in the fireplace. He led her to the couch and helped her sit down. He found a blanket lying nearby and wrapped it around her securely. Carter's lips weren't quite so blue and her shivering had stopped. He walked into the kitchen and made a cup of hot tea. When it was ready, he took it to her and sat down beside her. She held the cup in her hands.

"That would work better, Carter, if you actually drank it."

Her brow furrowed and her eyes were unfocused.. "Major, drink!" He said in his command voice.

She blinked. "Yes, sir." And sipped the hot drink.

Jack suspected there must be something more than just getting cold that was causing her to be so out of it. However, right now the important thing was to get her warm again. He hesitated a moment, then put his arm around her and pulled her close.

After a few moments, she seemed to be warming up so Jack decided to delve a little deeper into the problem.

"What were you doing outside in this weather, Carter? "

" I was feeling cooped up –first the infirmary and now here at home. Pete has hardly let me out of his sight since I've been home. I was going stir crazy. I thought I'd go out for a little while and enjoy the sunshine. I bundled up and was drinking a cup of tea. I started to read and I guess I fell asleep. I'm not sure how long I was out there – possibly an hour or so. Maybe I'm still feeling the effects of the concussion."

"A concussion?"

Yes, during the incident at the Alpha Site, I was thrown to the ground. I must have hit my head on one of the lab tables. I wasn't aware of any head trauma, but Janet said my symptoms were consistent with a concussion." She sat up and struggled to remove her coat.

"Whatcha doing, Carter?"

"I'm beginning to warm up now. I need to take off my coat and then wrap up in the blanket."

Jack helped her remove her coat and tucked the blanket back in around her. It surprised him how much he wanted to wrap her in his arms again. However, she was getting warmer, so he couldn't use that as an excuse. He noticed that she hadn't moved since he tucked the blanket around her.

"Carter?"

She didn't respond. "Carter!" he said a little louder. Still no response.

He put his hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. "Carter!"

"Sorry, Sir, I must have zoned out for a moment."

"You zoned out for more than a moment. I think there's more going on than you getting cold. Get your coat back on; I'm taking you back to the SGC to see Janet." He pulled the blanket away from her and reached for her coat.

"Wait a minute, Sir. I'm really okay. I was thinking."

"Thinking- about what?"

"I was just remembering recent events. I'm really okay. I just want to stay home. I'm so tired of the infirmary. Please, Sir," she pleaded.

Jack took a deep breath. He never could deny her when she looked at him that way. "If you're sure you are okay?" At her nod of confirmation, he sat back down and wrapped the blanket back around her.

"All the same, I don't think it's a good idea for you to be alone if you're still having concussion symptoms. What did ole Doc Fraiser have to say about it?"

Sam lowered her eyes and turned her face away from him. "Janet doesn't know." Then she turned back to him almost defiantly. "She didn't specifically tell me that I still had to have a keeper."

Jack frowned at her. "But she didn't say you could be alone either, did she?"

Sam shook her head –maybe a little too vigorously because she grimaced in pain. She put her hands on her head and said, "Maybe I shouldn't do that."

Jack gently pulled her hands down."Ya think? Do you have a headache?"

"Yes, I think that's one of the lingering complications from the head trauma. I have pills to take for it, but I'm out and we forgot them at the infirmary this morning."

"Carter! What were you going to do – just suffer through it?"

"No Sir, I was going to call Janet and ask her to bring them if Pete didn't get back soon. Until then, I could take some ibuprofen."

"It's a good thing, then, that Doc sent me over here with these." Jack took the bottle of pills out of his pocket and handed them to her.

"Thank you, Sir. I'm glad you brought them. I'll take one and lie down until Pete returns."

"Carter, I've taken those pills before. You do not need to be alone when you take them. Plus, you need to eat something first. I bet you've not eaten since breakfast, right?"

"No, but I can fix a sandwich. You don't have to stay. I'll wait until Pete gets home to take the pills. You don't need to spend your afternoon babysitting me."

"For crying out loud, Carter! Take the meds already. You're overdue for them as it is. I will fix you a sandwich and stay as long as necessary. There was nothing important on my agenda today other than watching the Simpsons and I can do that while you sleep."

"Since you put it that way, I don't have much choice—"

"Carter, I didn't make it an order. You do have a choice. If you don't want me here, I will call Cassie and get her to come over."

That's not it, Sir. I don't want you to waste your free afternoon."

"Pshaw, Carter. Staying with you is not wasting my afternoon. It's my pleasure –uh - I mean, it's not a big deal." Jack stammered.

Before Sam could reply, her phone began to ring. She looked at it and said, "It's Pete. He's probably calling to tell me he's on the way home."

"Uh, okay, I'll go get you some water to take that med."


	4. Chapter 4

Sam was just finishing the phone call as Jack walked back in with her water. "Yeah, me too." She said softly. "See you in the morning."

"Everything okay, Carter?" Jack asked as he handed her the water.

"I guess so, Sir. But, there's been a change in plans. Pete is going to be involved in an overnight stakeout and doesn't know when he will get free. I told him I would call Janet and see if she or Cassie could come over."

"You know I could stay."

"Thanks, Sir. But that's probably not a good idea. Spending the afternoon here is one thing, but spending the night is another—"

"Ah—appearances."

"Yes, Sir, you are my CO."

"Yes, that I am, Carter. That's why I'm ordering you to make that call to Janet and I'll go fix that sandwich I promised." He gave her a little wink to show it wasn't an actual order.

"You don't have to do that, Sir."

"I know, but I'm getting hungry and you should eat something since you took your pain meds."

After making sure that Carter had picked up her phone to call Dr. Frasier, Jack walked into the kitchen. As he went through the refrigerator and pantry looking for sandwich makings, he was surprised at how well stocked it was. Several types of deli meats and cheeses, along with a good selection of fruits and veggies were in the refrigerator. Three different kinds of breads, including sub rolls, as well as an assortment of chips and cookies were on the pantry shelves. Since when had Carter started keeping such a stocked refrigerator and pantry? Shanahan must be a big eater.

Looking through the selections, he chose roast beef and cheddar cheese on a sub roll for himself, and turkey and Swiss on wheat bread for Carter. He put some grapes and baby carrots on her plate and grabbed a bag of chips and some chocolate chip cookies for himself. He took both plates into the living room, set them down on the coffee table, and went back for the drinks. There were several bottles of beer in the refrigerator, but not his brand. Just as he was about to get a bottle of water, he noticed a bottle of Guinness in the back of the refrigerator. He grinned and grabbed it, along with a diet Coke for Carter.

He walked back into the living room with the drinks, just in time to hear Carter say, "No I understand, Janet, but I don't think I need to come back to the infirmary."

Jack mouthed, "What's going on?"

"Wait a minute, Janet. Colonel O'Neill is here and I need to explain –yes, he's still here." Sam covered the phone with her hand, and said, "SG3 and SG7 just came in with several injuries- nothing serious," she quickly added, seeing the colonel's reaction. "But she won't be able to leave for a while, and Cassie is at a friend's house for the evening. She doesn't want me to be alone, so she told me to get someone to bring me back to the infirmary. But I've had enough of the infirmary, so I'm trying to talk her into letting me stay here by myself."

"I'm not sure about that Carter. You didn't use good judgment in sitting outside in freezing temps this afternoon."

"Sir…" She started to protest.

"Give me the phone, Carter."

Reluctantly, she handed the phone over to him.

"Hi, Janet. Yes, I'm still here. Yeah, well, that's a story for another time, but I can stay with Carter tonight. I agree that she shouldn't be left alone. Why—well that's part of the story. But everything is okay right now."

"Yes, I know." He nodded his head in agreement with Janet. "I will keep a close eye on her. Doctor's orders." This last comment was to Carter, who was rolling her eyes at his side of the conversation. "Okay, I'll see that she comes back in tomorrow morning for another checkup. Take care of those jarheads." Jack teased as he hung up.

"Okay, that's, settled. Dr. Fraiser has ordered me to stay here with you tonight."

Sam bit her bottom lip. "But, Sir…"

"Ah, ah, ah Carter. As CMO, Doc Fraiser can overrule all of us. So sit back and eat that gourmet sandwich I made for you."

Sam took a deep breath and looked at the plate he handed her. "You made my favorite sandwich, Sir. Thanks. You even included grapes and carrots instead of chips."

"Carter, I"ve watched you eat many times in the commissary. I know what you like. But I couldn't find any blue jello." Jack laughed.

"Pete doesn't like jello so he didn't pick any up when he shopped for groceries."

"Who doesn't like Jello? That's almost un-American. Although, I do question your taste of blue over red." Jack sat down beside her.

When she didn't answer, Jack nudged Sam's shoulder. "Carter, the sandwich is not going to do any good sitting on the plate. Eat." He urged.

"Yes, Sir." She obeyed his orders as always, and began to eat, slowly.

They ate their sandwiches in silence. Sam didn't finish her sandwich, but she did eat all the grapes and carrots. When she was finished, she stood up to take their plates back to the kitchen, but Jack stopped her.

"Those can wait." He said, taking the plates from her and sitting them back down on the coffee table. "Sit down. I have something I need to say."

Carter sat down, but her hands were picking at her sweater. "Sir, what's going on?"

He hesitated, almost changing his mind. "Sir?" she repeated.

"Carter, I –uh, it's just – uh. For crying out loud, you scared me."

"This afternoon? I wasn't that cold." She began to explain. "I was having trouble waking up and…"

He stood up and stared at the fireplace. "No, not this afternoon. Although that wasn't one of your brightest ideas. No - Carter, at the Alpha Site, when we couldn't find you..." His voice trailed away. "Then, finding that Super Soldier shooting at you."

He turned toward her. "I'm really glad you're okay."

Sam stood up and placed her hand on his arm. "I'm really glad you found me, Sir. I thought he was going to kill me."

"It was too close, Carter. Too close," he repeated as he pulled her close. He wrapped his arms around her and bent his head in to the curve of her neck. He enjoyed how she felt in his arms. He had wanted to hold her like that for a long time. All too soon, though, the military side of him reasserted itself, he remembered their ranks, and why he couldn't be with her – not to mention - she had Shanahan now. He pulled away, noting with a grim smile, that she didn't want to let him go.

He bent to pick up the dishes on the coffee table and started to walk back to the kitchen. He put the dishes in the dishwasher and put the drink containers in the recycling bin. He finished cleaning up the kitchen and looked around. There wasn't anything else to do.

He couldn't put off going back to the living room and facing Carter any longer. He didn't know what he was going to say to her. He wished they had never locked things away in that damn room. They should have confessed their feelings to Hammond at the time. He could have retired and they could be together. she wouldn't be with Shanahan , and he wouldn't be worrying about inappropriate feelings for her. Then he realized that if he had retired, he wouldn't have been able to rescue her this time. At least this way, he could watch her six, and keep her safe. With a sigh, he realized he needed to apologize to her and walked back to face the music.

Jack walked into the living room just as Carter came in from the hallway.

"Carter, I'm sorry. I got a little personal—".

"Sir, we're friends, aren't we?"

He nodded. "I certainly hope so."

"Then there is nothing wrong with friends being concerned about each other – and showing it with a hug."

"No, but as you so wisely reminded me earlier, I am your CO. I don't give a damn about my career, but you—you're destined for great things, Carter. I wouldn't be surprised if you're in command of the SGC someday. And I don't want to be the one to jeopardize that outstanding career."

"I'm glad you have that much confidence in me, Colonel." She sat back down on the couch.

Jack sat down beside her but not as close as before. "I'm only stating the obvious, Carter. So we're okay?" He motioned with his hand between them.

"We're fine. Now I just happen to have a couple of the latest seasons of the Simpsons. Ya want to watch an episode or two?"

"You sure know how to spoil a guy," he grinned. "Whatcha got?"

He picked a random DVD and put it into the player. He sat back down beside her and soon they were both laughing at the antics of the yellow, animated characters.

After a couple of episodes, Jack noticed Sam was beginning to nod off. He wasn't surprised. It had been an eventful day. Her head leaned back against the couch. Jack found himself watching her sleep, totally losing interest in the cartoon characters on the television. Without a conscious thought, he put his arm around her shoulder and gently drew her close, so her head was lying on his shoulder. He leaned his head against hers and closed his eyes reveling in the feel of Carter in his arms.


	5. Chapter 5

A car door slamming nearby woke Jack up. His left arm was tingling and he was aware of a heavy weight on it. His neck was stiff also. He looked to his left and saw Carter's head on his arm. That explained the tingling. Then he remembered – he had come over to check on Carter and after eating and watching TV, they must fallen asleep. By the light coming in the window, he could tell they had slept on the couch all night, and Carter was still asleep. He gently eased her head off his shoulder and removed his arm from around her. He was preparing to lay her down on the couch when the front door opened. He managed to get her down on the couch and quickly walked down the hall to intercept Shanahan before he could wake Carter up.

Shanahan was hanging his jacket up in the coat closet as Jack walked to the hallway. "Hey, Babe, I'm home."

Jack shook his head. He couldn't imagine Carter tolerating anyone calling her "Babe". "Sorry no one's ever called me Babe before," he said.

Pete turned around quickly, obviously not expecting a male voice in answer to his greeting. "Colonel O'Neill?"

Jack leaned against the doorway and put his finger to his lips in shushing signal. "Carter's still asleep."

Pete pushed past him into the living room where Carter was still asleep on the couch. He turned towards Jack who had followed him and demanded, "What's going on? Janet was supposed to be here." He looked at Jack and then back at Carter with raised eyebrows.

Jack ran his fingers through his hair, which was already sticking up at all angles. "Nothing is going on, Shanahan. I was asked to stay with Carter since you went to work and left her on her own."

"But, I –uh – she…" Pete stammered, then shook his head and started over. "Not that it's any of you business, but Sam told me to go in, and when I had to stay, she said she would get Janet to come over."

"See, that's the thing. Dr. Fraiser had an emergency on base and couldn't leave. Since I was already here, bringing the pain meds _you_ forgot, I stayed to watch over her. We fell asleep on the couch watching TV. That's all that happened."

Pete continued to stare at Jack but then put his hands up in front of him and backed off. "Then, I should say thank you for watching out for her. Sorry, if I sounded irritated. It was a rough stakeout and I was not expecting to see you here." Pete extended his right hand.

Jack looked at it a moment, then shook Pete's hand. "No problem. Now that you're here, it's time for me to go. Carter's meds are on the bar and the dosage times are written on the notepad by the refrigerator." He picked up his jacket from the chair and turned to walk out. "Oh yeah, Dr Fraiser wants to see Carter again this morning. Remind Carter to call her and schedule a time."

"Why does she need to see Sam again so soon? She was just there yesterday."

"I think, I'll let Carter explain that one." Jack said with a wink and walked out the door.


	6. Chapter 6

Sam reached to pull the covers up on her and wondered why her bed was so narrow. As she pulled her legs up, she realized she was on her couch. She must have fallen asleep while watching TV with the Colonel. A door closed nearby and she sat up on the couch, looking around and rubbing her eyes.

"Colonel?" Her voice was raspy with sleep.

"No, Babe, it's me. Colonel O'Neill just left," Pete said as he walked into the room.

Sam yawned and said, "Oh, Pete, you're home."

"Yeah, the stake out was a bust." Pete walked over and sat down beside her on the couch.

Sam pulled her legs up on the couch and leaned against the arm of the couch. "I'm sorry. You must be tired. Let me fix you some coffee."

"Thanks, Babe. I think I've had enough coffee in the last few hours to last awhile." He leaned his head back on the couch and closed his eyes.

"So. Colonel O'Neill spent the night with you?" Pete turned to look at Sam with his head still leaning on the back of the couch.

"It wasn't like that, Pete." Sam frowned. "Janet couldn't come, after all, and the Colonel came by to bring the meds I left at the infirmary. So he was stuck with babysitting duty."

"He didn't sound as if it were such a chore." Pete lifted his head from the couch and stared at her.

"What are you talking about?"

"Before he left, he made some comment about you watching TV together and falling asleep on the couch. That doesn't sound like it was a _duty_ to me."

"Pete, what are you implying?" Sam's jaw clenched as she felt a flash of irritation.

Pete held his hands up, palms facing outward, trying to placate her. "Hey, don't get mad. I'm not implying anything. I didn't think a CO's duty extended to taking such good care of a subordinate." Pete used his fingers to make quotation marks on the word "care".

Sitting up, Sam eyed Pete and her lips tightened. "I've told you several times that my team is more than just a military unit. You have no idea what we've been through in the last seven years. We're like a family and would do anything for each other. You have no concept of what it's like to be a member of a team like ours."

"That's just it. You keep anything concerning the team to yourself. I'm always telling you about the guys I work with and the cases we work on, but you never share anything like that with me."

Sam took a deep breath to calm herself before replying. "Pete, I've told you repeatedly, that what I do is classified."

"Yeah, right. Deep space telemetry." Pete waved his hand dismissively. "Besides, I have clearance."

We've been through this before. Your clearance only extends to knowing about the Stargate program, not what our missions involve. The other teams' families don't even know about the program, so you already know more than they."

"Babe, what are you saying? Do you mean if we got married, I couldn't know anymore about what you do?"

Sam was stunned. Wow! Where had that come from? They hadn't been dating that long. Marriage was the last thing she was thinking about at this stage of the relationship. "First of all, Pete, it's way too early to talk about marriage, and secondly, yes, that's exactly what I mean. The spouses have no idea what goes on under the mountain."

"That's ridiculous. I don't see how the marriages last if there's no sharing of each other's day."

"There has to be a lot of trust involved in any relationship, Pete. Especially in a marriage. Since you think it's so ridiculous, maybe you should leave now, before this relationship goes any further."

"Wait, Sam. You're misunderstanding me. I didn't mean…"

"I know exactly what you meant, Pete. You truly don't trust me. This isn't the first time you've shown your doubts. I know you had a background check run on me after our first couple of dates."

"But, I - uh…" Pete sputtered. "How did you know?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "With all that you've been told about this classified facility, do you think that an FBI inquiry into a member of the flagship team would go unnoticed? What were you thinking?"

Pete's eyes moved side to side as he was stammering to come up with an answer. "But, I didn't know all that then. I'm a cop, Sam. I'm trained to be suspicious."

Sam sat back down on the couch. Tears filled her eyes. Sadly, yet another relationship has gone down the drain. She really sucked at this relationship thing. She turned her head away from Pete and surreptitiously wiped the tears that were tracking down her face. "Pete, it's just not going to work with us." Her voice was soft but determined. Turning back to face Pete, she resolutely said, "I think you need to get your things and leave."

Pete had a panicked look on his face. "Wait, Sam, you can't really mean that. We're great together. You wouldn't really throw me out, would you?"

Sam took a deep breath. "It's just not working, Pete. I think it best to end it now before either of us gets more involved."

"Babe, you need me to take care of you."

At this, Sam' face turned even redder than before. She jumped up from the couch and pointed her finger at him. "I don't need YOU to take care of me. I'm perfectly capable of…"

"Oh that's right. I forgot – you have a CO who will be glad to take care of you."

"That's it. Pete. You really need to leave. NOW!"

"But Babe, you can't mean that." Pete sputtered.

"That's another thing—don't call me Babe." Sam massaged her temples as her head began to hurt again.

"Ok." His shoulders slumped. "I'll get my things and leave for now, but I'll call you later when you've had a chance to cool down and think things over." He made a move to walk towards the bedroom.

"Don't bother – if I change my mind, I'll call you. Forget packing now. I want you gone. I'll send your things to the station."

"But what will the guys at the station think?" Pete whined.

"Pete, you really are a shrub!" Sam said in disgust. "Don't forget to leave my house key also."

Pete dropped his head and ran his hand through his hair. Nonetheless, he took her key off his key ring and laid it on the table next to the couch. "I'm leaving, Bab-uh-Sam. I'm sorry. I thought we were good together."

Sam shook her head and sat back down on the couch. She didn't watch as he walked out the door and out of her life.

She realized she was feeling a sense of relief, instead of depression, at the ending of this relationship. Pete had been a nice diversion. She realized she didn't truly want a "normal" life of a husband, two kids and a house in the suburbs. That was not the life for someone who had traveled to other planets. Certainly, she didn't need someone who thought she needed "looking after". She knew she had made the right decision, but it still hurt for another relationship to end. At least this one hadn't ended with a death. Maybe she had broken that curse, she thought with a grim smile.

Her stomach growling roused her from her thoughts. She went to the kitchen, put on a pot of coffee, and placed two pieces of bread in the toaster. Although her stomach was signaling hunger, she didn't have much of an appetite. Coffee and toast spread with a little plum jelly would suffice for now.

After satisfying her stomach with a little food, Sam remembered to take her pain meds. Her head was not hurting so much, but in the aftermath of her argument with Pete, she was conscious of her leg hurting. She didn't realize it in the moment, but when she jumped up from the couch, earlier, she jarred her leg. It was still tender from her injury. She checked the stitches to make sure they hadn't broken open. Everything was okay. No drainage or bleeding.

She limped around the house - picking up all of Pete's things he had left scattered about. She packed them neatly in a box and called a delivery service to schedule a pick up. With that task behind her now, it was time for a shower.

Sam stepped out of the shower and towel-dried her hair. It felt good not to have someone hovering over her. She hadn't realized how overwhelming Pete's attention had been - even when she wasn't hurt. Being with him had begun to wear on her. He needed constant attention and affirmation. She knew that all relationships required work, but this one was more of a chore – with not much to look forward to. She contrasted that with how relaxing it had been last night with Colonel O'Neill. Even when it got slightly awkward when they hugged after admitting how scared they each were on the Alpha Site. They had a frank discussion about their relationship. Sam was convinced they both thought it more than just friendship.

Going to her closet to choose something to wear, she selected some sweat pants and a t-shirt. She wondered why she had even gone out with Pete in the first place. If she hadn't still been suffering from the effects of the concussion she sustained on the Prometheus, she probably wouldn't have agreed to a blind date with Mark's friend. That, combined the hallucinations, contributed to her feeling that Colonel O'Neill no longer "cared for her more than he was supposed to". She was glad they talked about that last night.

As she finished dressing, her phone rang. She checked the caller ID - it was Janet. Uh-oh – now she would have to confess that she was alone.

"Hi, Janet," she said with a cheerful voice, as she sat down on her bed.

"Hey, Sam. You're sounding perky this morning. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

"Truthfully, Sam. Any headaches or confusion today?" Janet probed a little harder.

"No, Janet. None at all since yesterday afternoon. In fact, I feel much better today. My head feels clearer than it has in quite a while." She neglected to mention her leg was hurting.

"That's great Sam. I'm glad to hear that. Is Colonel O'Neill still there?"

"Oh, you want his opinion on how I'm doing, huh?"

Janet laughed. "No, I believe you. I can tell by your voice that you're doing a lot better. I need to talk to the Colonel about another matter."

"Sorry, Janet, but he's already gone. Pete told me he left when he came in."

Janet was quiet for a moment. "How did Pete react to the Colonel staying with you?"

"I don't know what you mean, Janet." Sam bluffed.

"Oh, come on, Sam. I saw how Pete looked when Colonel O'Neill was by your bedside almost every time Pete visited you."

Sam's mouth dropped open. "Are you saying Pete was jealous of the colonel? That's what we all do when a team member is injured." She stopped, remembering Pete's accusations earlier. "But that probably explains Pete's comments today."

"What do you mean?"

Sam stood up and started pacing. She stopped quickly, though. It was hard to pace when you were limping. "Pete pissed me off. Kept calling me Babe."

Janet laughed at that.

"It's not funny, Janet." Sam tried to protest, but had to laugh also. "He called me that all the time. I hated it. Then, he kept insinuating there was something going on between the Colonel and me.

"Why did he do that?"

"I don't know, Janet. Something about us falling asleep on the couch." Sam's voice trailed off.

"You and Colonel O'Neill slept on the couch together?" Janet sounded incredulous.

"Not like that." Sam was glad Janet couldn't see her as her face turned a bright red. "It's a long story, Janet. I'll explain later. The short version is- I sent Pete packing!"

"Thank goodness!" Janet muttered.

"What?"

"Never mind," Janet said. "I was thinking out loud. Wait, does that mean you're alone now?"

Sam took a deep breath and said, "Yes I am alone. I was about to call you and ask if you would allow me to come in and work in my lab today."

There was quiet on the phone line.

"Janet, are you still there?"

"I'm here, Sam. I was thinking. You do sound better and if there's no one to stay with you at home, I'd feel better if you were here where I could keep an eye on you."

"Thanks, Janet, I'm almost dressed. I'll be there in an hour." Sam was excited.

"Wait just a minute. Major." Janet sounded like a CMO now. "You are not cleared to drive. I'll send someone to pick you up."

"But, Janet…" Sam began.

"Don't start whining or I'll keep you in the infirmary when you get here," Janet warned Sam.

"Right, Dr Frasier, no whining here." Sam quickly changed her tone of voice.

"One more thing, Sam. Only computer work. No fiddling with your doohickeys. Take it easy today and we'll see how it goes."

"Uh, do I hear whining?" Janet interrupted.

Sam ducked her head. She was embarrassed to be caught whining so quickly. "Nope, no whining from me. I'm sitting here patiently waiting for my ride."

Janet laughed. "That's more like it. Someone will be there in 30 minutes or so. Remember to come see me first. I want to check you out."

"I will, Janet." Sam agreed.

"And, I want to hear the rest of the story about Pete."

Sam laughed. "Sure thing, Janet."

Sam hung up the phone with a smile on her face. Even if it was light duty, she was going back to work. Pete was gone. She and Colonel O'Neill had talked about their relationship –friendship-it was a friendship, for now. It _was_ going to be a good day.


	7. Chapter 7

Epilogue

Jack ran his fingers through his hair as he finished reading the report on his desk. As General Hammond's 2IC he had to be up to date on everything that involved the SGC, although he did his best to keep that fact secret. He hated that part of the job. Most reports were boring – Daniel's especially. He could write volumes about old rocks, tablets, and temples. But this last report from the commissary on how many pounds of potatoes the SGC used monthly was more mind numbing than any of Daniel's.

Speaking of the commissary, it was time for a break. That chocolate mocha cake featured today was calling his name. Maybe he would stop by Carter's lab on the way. She'd been back to work for 3 days now - on light duty by Dr. Fraiser's orders. But, unless the doc had made specific orders about taking normal eating breaks, he bet Carter had not stopped for lunch, much less a break.

He made his way to the elevator; nodding absent-mindedly to any personnel he passed. He was thinking of how close they came to losing Carter on the Alpha Site. That had been scary. He stepped into the elevator, pressed the button for Carter's floor, and leaned back against the back of the elevator. He shook his head, metaphorically trying to clear such morbid thoughts, and remembered, instead, the last conversation they had. It seemed to clear the air and any confusion about their relationship. Friends – they were friends – for now.

The elevator stopped and he stepped out as the door opened. Making his way down the hallway to her lab, he was still thinking about that evening he had stayed with Carter while Pete was on a stakeout. It had been a good time. Rounding the corner to the lab, a strange noise coming from the vicinity interrupted his thoughts. As he got to the door of her lab, he laughed, realizing it was Carter humming. Wait! Crap, she was humming again. The thing with Pete must still be going well.

Just then, she looked up and saw him standing in the doorway.

"Hi Carter – humming again?"

"Oh, hi, Sir. Was I?" Carter blushed.

"Yeah, you were. Pete doing okay?" He hoped that sounded nonchalant. He certainly wasn't feeling nonchalant.

"What? No –I don't know…" She trailed off knitting her brows.

"You were humming like you did when– What do you mean you don't know?" Jack interrupted himself as he realized what she'd said.

"Sir, uh – it's just that – well – Pete is no longer in the picture." Carter uncharacteristically stammered.

"Carter, I'm sorry. When did this happen?" Jack said. Inwardly he was doing a fist pump.

"A few days ago, Sir. Nothing to be sorry for- I realized the relationship wasn't going anywhere." Carter explained. "I'm just glad I discovered that early on before either of us more invested more time and effort into it."

Jack's shoulder's sagged in relief. "Carter, if you're glad, I'm glad. Now about that ditty you were murdering- uh humming. Wasn't that the MacGyver theme song. Don't tell me you're a fan of the mullet."

Carter frowned at him when he commented on her humming, but quickly changed to a giggle as he made the mullet comment.

"No Sir. I'm not a fan of the mullet, but the character and I both like blowing things up." Sam smiled brightly and added, "While the actor is intriguing, he's a little young for my taste."

"Young, Carter? That show is at least 10 years old. I think that actor is several years older than you."

"You're right, Sir. I bet he's much more interesting, now that he's older. I bet he even has a little silver in that mullet ," she said, laughing. "By the way Sir, did you come to discuss my taste in TV shows or did you need me for something?"

Jack fiddled with a fascinating metal sculpture thingy on her desk, but looked up sharply at that question. Oh yeah, he needed her for something… something against that desk or maybe… Whoa, don't go there!

"Sir?" Carter was speaking to him.

"Huh? Oh, no, I didn't need anything. I was just headed for the commissary to get another slice of that chocolate mocha cake and wondered if you were ready for a break, too." Jack covered up his momentary lapse into lala land.

"Chocolate mocha cake!" Carter's eyes got big. "Oh yes. I'm down for that, Sir."

"Okay, secure your computer, and let's go."

Carter saved her document, shut down the computer, and nodded that she was ready to go.

Jack motioned for her to precede him. "So, you like older men with graying hair, huh, Carter?" he asked as he lightly placed his hand in the small of her back, guiding her through the door.

Carter stopped, looked back at him, and with a wink said, "Silver hair, Sir. I like silver hair."


End file.
